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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bear — the animal
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. tube — a container
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. row — a line
  10. pass — a permit
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. tube — the underground
  21. row — to paddle
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bear — to put up with

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com